Sweet Potato Corn Chowder with Bacon
A hint of sweetness from corn and sweet potatoes, along with smoky bacon, makes Sweet Potato Corn Chowder a tasty & healthy soup. Perfect for moving from decadent holidays to a healthier New Year.
I know what you’re thinking. How does a nice dose of bacon move us toward eating healthier for the New Year?
Well, one of the things I firmly believe is that if you don’t eat a food, then it can’t help you. So if a recipe is too difficult, or not tasty enough, it won’t matter how healthy it is. And, well, who doesn’t find a little smoky bacon motivating!
Of course I did use a natural uncured bacon (no nitrates added). And then there’s only about a slice per serving. But, if you’d like a vegetarian soup with a similar vibe, check out my Three Sisters Stew.
Sound good?
Why You’ll Love This!
Flavorful and Unique. With a unique blend of rich flavors, Sweet Potato Corn Chowder will keep your taste buds happy all winter!
Healthy. This soup is loaded with sweet potatoes, a nutritional powerhouse.
Easy. Get your spouse to cut up the sweet potatoes or buy pre-cut, then chop rest of the veggies in the food processor. Then mix and cook. Easy-peasy!
Step by Step Overview
In a medium stockpot or Dutch oven, cook diced bacon until crisp. Remove bacon and reserve. If there is more than about 3 Tablespoons of bacon grease, remove excess from pan. If less, add butter up to a total of 3 Tablespoons (approximate is fine).
Add smoked paprika, sweet potatoes, onion and celery to the stockpot. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring regularly, until onions and celery have softened, about 5 minutes.
Add stock and simmer for 15 minutes. Add wild rice, corn, salt, pepper and rosemary. Transfer about 2 cups of the soup to a blender and process (starting on low) until smooth (always be careful to start blending hot foods slowly to avoid explosions of scalding soup). Stir the puree back into the soup.
Crumble and add reserved bacon, then simmer a couple minutes to heat through.
Serve warm.
Tips & FAQs
The recipe came to me years ago when my mother saved me the local paper’s New Year’s Best Recipes of 2017 which included it. Wasn’t that nice! I guess once a mother, always a mother.
I tweaked the recipe some, playing up the smoky vibes by sauteeing with all bacon grease (instead of part butter), and adding a little smoked paprika. And I went a little thicker by using less broth.
Wild rice gives this a nice earthy vibe, but if it’s too expensive or difficult to find you can use something else. I’d suggest a natural rice (not instant which may not hold up to reheating), and brown rather than white for better nutrition. Or consider black rice for a boost of antioxidants.
For a budget tip, you can sometimes find bacon ends (irregular “leftover” cuts) at a nice discount. They don’t work well as breakfast bacon or on a sandwich but are usually fine for crumbling.
More Bacon Recipes
- Bacon Wellington Pork Roast from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
- Candied Brown Sugar Bacon from Creative Cynchronicity
- Bacon Parmesan Soft Pretzels from That Recipe
- Snoop Dogg’s Millionaire Bacon from Jen Around the World
- Bacon, Blue Cheese and Tomato Salad from Palatable Pastime
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Sweet Potato Corn Chowder
Ingredients
- 4-6 slices bacon about 6 ounces
- Butter or oil if needed
- 2 sweet potatoes cut into ½ inch cubes (about 2 ½ cups)
- 1 medium onion finely diced (about 2/3 cup)
- 1-2 stalks celery finely diced (about ½ cup)
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 5 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth. Add more if you like a thinner soup
- 1 ½ cups corn kernels fresh or frozen, it was about half my 1 lb frozen bag
- salt, pepper to taste
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary crumbled or 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary leaves, minced
- 2 cups cooked wild rice may substitute another natural rice
Instructions
- In a medium stockpot or Dutch oven, cook diced bacon until crisp. Remove bacon and reserve. If there is more than about 3 Tablespoons of bacon grease, remove excess from pan. If less, add butter up to a total of 3 Tablespoons (approximate is fine).
- Add smoked paprika, sweet potatoes, onion and celery to the stockpot. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring regularly, until onions and celery have softened, about 5 minutes. Add stock and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Add wild rice, corn, salt, pepper and rosemary. Transfer about 2 cups of the soup to a blender and process (starting on low) until smooth (always be careful to start blending hot foods slowly to avoid explosions of scalding soup). Stir the puree back into the soup.
- Crumble and add reserved bacon, then simmer a couple minutes to heat through.
- Serve warm.
Notes
Nutrition
Updated from the original post dated February 1, 2018.
I think sweet potatoes are so under appreciated. This soup really does highlight their earthy sweetness with the corn and smoky bacon. What a delicious bowl of comfort.
And they’re like the best health food. So looking for more ways to use them.
this sounds like a truly delicious soup, inger! nice find. 🙂
I am truly enjoying my soups this winter (as you seem to be too), Grace!
Ha, my sweet mom saved me the same section because she knows I like to cook! Moms are the best!
Oh too funny Lisa!
Gorgeous soup! Love the colors and will definitely try this.
I’m always happy to get a couple different vegetables in a soup Tammy. Then the color is a bonus!
Inger – I wish wild rice with more available here in the southwest! Yes, we can get it, but it cost a fortune! Your recipe sounds fantastic.
Wild rice isn’t cheap here either David! But I couldn’t resist here 🙂